Pratik Handore
‘All American‘ is a sports drama series that is created by April Blair loosely based on the life of former NFL player Spencer Paysinger. Created by April Blair, it stars Daniel Ezra in the lead role of Spencer James, a high school football prodigy who tries to balance the various aspects of his life while pursuing his dream of becoming a professional football player.
In the show, Spencer lives in a rough neighborhood in South Crenshaw that continually affects his life and draws him into conflicts. His friendship with Coop connects him to Tyrone, a gang leader who poses a serious threat to his career and life. Does that mean things escalate to the extent that Spencer loses his life? Let’s find out!
Does Spencer Die in All American?
Tyrone Moore is a menacing presence throughout the show’s first two seasons. While for most of the part, his storyline doesn’t overlap with Spencer’s, the two are connected through Coop, who works for Tyrone and is Spencer’s close friend. Spencer is very protective of Coop, and when she gets on the bad side of Tyrone, he agrees to help her. In a bid to help her friend Shawn, Coop decides to complete the job assigned to him. When Coop’s plan goes sideways, she fears retaliation and comes to Spencer for help.
Coop and Spencer consult Laura, who is an attorney, and she advises them to speak in court against Tyrone. Coop refuses as it would directly put a target on her head, and Tyrone will seek to kill her. However, Spencer believes it is the right thing to do. Later Coop gets Tyrone arrested for a murder attempt on Preach. Eventually, Coop asks Preach to testify against Tyrone. He doesn’t testify but protects Coop from Tyrone.
In episode 10 of season 2, titled ‘Protect Ya Neck,’ after learning that Tyrone is still threatening Coop and Laura, Spencer goes to confront Tyrone. He warns Tyrone to stay away from Coop and Laura, and the two have a heated interaction. Later that night, Spencer is shot in a drive-by while trying to save Olivia. The following episode reveals that, luckily, the shooting wasn’t fatal as the bullet hit Spencer in the arm. Spencer does not die, but the incident is enough to make fans realize the threat of Tyrone and his gang. While the incident renders Spencer temporarily unable to play football, it reminds him of the people that care about him.
It also reminds the audience that no character is safe and the harsh realities of living in a rough neighborhood overrun with crime become prominent. Moving on from the incident, Spencer focuses on returning to football, and Tyrone is eventually shot dead. Tyrone’s sister, Mo, believes Spencer to be involved in her brother’s murder, but the killer is revealed to be Shawn’s mom, Ruth Scott. This revelation likely averted another death scare for Spencer as Mo is initially intent on avenging Tyrone’s death.
Since then, Spencer hasn’t run into any trouble that could cost him his life. While the shooting incident has left a long-term impact on the young football player, he has mostly succeeded in putting it behind him. The show has adopted an overall lighter tone in season 3, and it doesn’t seem like Spencer’s life is under threat. At the moment, he is focused on finding his form back on the pitch and putting together a good team at Crenshaw High. Therefore, fans can rejoice as Daniel Ezra is very much a part of the main cast of ‘All American’ and will continue to enthrall the audiences with his performance as Spencer James.
Read More: Where is All American Filmed?
